Thanks to everyone who has been sending information and helping since the beginning of the year. A special note should go to R Cohen who has been instrumental in getting a dilapidated and vagrant filled house cleaned up. It’s incredible how community members who walk amongst us are willing to just leave a property to rack and ruin. To be overrun by vagrants and become a health and safety hazard for their neighbours. It was only due to her concerted effort that we have got some movement from our Law enforcement (Metro) on the property in Fairwood. We should all put pressure on our own community members that flout laws and make our area unsafe and ugly!

Pass on any and all information that you might have or feel is necessary for us to know. All activity is intelligence driven so the more we know the more effective we, and the SAPS, can be. Please do not even hesitate, pass it on and we can make things even more wonderful than they already are!

Warning:Smash & grabs on all M1 highway offramps.There has been a couple follow home driveway robberies. It appears as those these persons came from shopping centre’s in and from outside our area.

As we have warned before – when exiting an entering your house one must be extra vigilant. This is where you are vulnerable. If you do feel that you are being followed please do not drive home. Rather circle a block to see if the car follows. If it is still following you then call the SAPS, your private security provider, if possible, and head to the closest police station. The vehicle will probably realize that they have been found out and leave. Let us know of its details and we can circulate them. And informed community is an active one!

They will have loads for everyone to see and do. There will be food and refreshments for sale. You must attend this event as it will open your eyes to how scouts and cubs can influence our boys AND girls to become men and women. Scouts and cubs is for any child (boys & girls) and is a wonderful way to teach your child practical skills for everyday life. If you would like more info please contact Don on the number listed above. They are also looking for volunteers to help out on a regular basis so if you are available please get in touch with him.

Once again I would like to make call for all those that live in our area to come and get involved in our structures. We are only able to function at a tiny fraction of what we can. So if anyone is able to give of their time to make a difference in this wonderful area of ours please get in touch with me.

]]>380NCPF News – 16 Jan 2012http://ncpf.co.za/2012/01/ncpf-news-16-jan-2012/
Mon, 16 Jan 2012 15:35:32 +0000http://ncpf.co.za/?p=377Greetings to everyone and best wishes for 2012. This year promises to be an exciting one not only for our precinct but for the entire country as a whole. I am looking forward to seeing our CPF go from strength to strength. Already we have seen a lot of movement at Station level to activate support at street level. As such we as the CPF must assist to create structures that will allow these forums to fulfil their mandates and forge a society that we can all be proud of.

In this letter I have highlighted some issues to be aware of with regards criminal intent. I have also included some topics that we should all actively shout about and fight against otherwise we will just see our area degrade further.

Louis Botha and Grant Avenue

Grant Avenue (Norwood) Louis Botha â€“ Corner 2nd Ave (O.G.)

Above are two properties that are owned by someone (be it Natural persons or companies) who are clearly not interested in the general aesthetics of our area. My main concern is the scrap dealer that has started operating in Orange Grove. Clearly this landlord is intent on making money at our, the residents, expense. This â€œstoreâ€ is merely a room that is operating as a dealer. It is dirty and without any legitimate business purpose. Whoever owns this building is letting this happen! It is a complete disgrace and we as residents should complain and not let the owners get away with it.

As an aside, there is a dog parlour operating near this spot. If I had a pet that I loved I would ask the right questions and do some on-site inspections before I let it anywhere near this business. Today on our walkabout a dog, when being offloaded from their vans, got out and ran down Louis Botha. It was only a miracle that it was not run over. Their operations appear unsafe and from what I could see their staff is clearly not trained in how to deal with animals.

Crime Update & lookouts for January

Criminal activity over December was muted. However some instances were recorded and the SAPS appear to have been able to deal with most of these. I have received some correspondence regarding vagrants and abandoned properties. We are looking to deal with these effectively this year. So if you do have any of these that you would like to bring to our attention, please send this information to us.

Meter readers:

There is apparently some industrial action that is affecting African Meter Readers â€“ the company that is tasked with reading our electricity and water meters. There is some confusion around this whole story and I am advising all members within our community to not let anyone on their properties until we can sort this out. We have had instances where people have been robbed by imposters posing as meter readers. So please be aware and pass this information on.

Please be on the lookout for the following vehicles. If spotted please do not approach, call the SAPS on 10111 or your sector vehicle.

Lookouts: Black polo XLH467GP

Silver Chrysler PT cruiser LNP456Gp

Yours,

Duncan

]]>366NCPF update – August 2011http://ncpf.co.za/2011/08/ncpf-update-august-2011/
http://ncpf.co.za/2011/08/ncpf-update-august-2011/#commentsMon, 01 Aug 2011 17:08:53 +0000http://ncpf.co.za/2011/08/ncpf-update-august-2011/Hi All, It has been a while and we have been cooking up a few things, keeping ourselves warm with the fever that comes from working on making our area a better place to live, work and play in! So herein please find an update on crime and a huge announcement of a forthcoming event to be held at the station. So read on and pass this on to others in our community. We need to reach more of our constituents so get involved and get them in touch with us!

The Norwood SAPS Open Day – 10th September 2011The goal of the open day is to raise awareness of and promote the Norwood SAPS and the NCPF within our community. We see this as the perfect opportunity to get the community into the station and interact with the SAPS. We would like to break down the barriers between the community and the police to encourage them to work together. It is only when we work together that we can create a safe society for us to work and live in. We will be holding events and entertainment throughout the day so bring the family and come get to know the people that protect and serve us. We may even have some celebrities for you to mingle with…

Sponsorship – I have attached a sponsorship letter to this email and would appreciate any and all funding that is forthcoming. We have a budget of around R 30,000 that we need to cover in order to hold a successful event. As such are looking for corporate and personal sponsors to come forward. We will be approaching the larger companies operating in our area and if you know someone to whom we could engage please let me know. We are busy finalising posters and other pamphlets printed to promote this. We will be engaging local media within the next few weeks to get them broadcasting this far and wide.

Crime updateCrime is stable and is not increasing, despite what you may heard or read in your mailbox lately. That does not mean things are rosy as we still have incidences of criminal activity in our area. Especially around Louis Botha in Orange Grove, Norwood and Highlands North.

MO update:Roller gates – gates on tracks – I have talked about this before, but these gates can be easily breached by criminals. They lift the gate off of its tracks and are able to gain access to your property. We do have a community member that can remedy this situation and it is not an expensive process. If you would like to get in touch with him please let me know and I shall pass on his details.

Crime that occurred:There was a robbery at the Sports pavilion in Norwood which the Norwood SAPS and security personnell responded to. Two suspects were arrested and a firearm was recovered in the arrest. Congratulations should go to Capt Maganedisa for his work in this arrest.

There was a community member at our monthly meeting that mentioned a possibility that some break-ins are not being reported. If you do not report a crime it did not happen. The SAPS, and we, need to know what is happening and where crime is occurring. If we do not know we cannot allocate time and resources to the issue. Do not just report for insurance purposes (or to collect insurance), report because you must as it may be the difference in getting a criminal caught or him going on to commit more serious offenses.

Shoplifting has come up a bit lately. If you do see suspicious persons, or groups of person, in a shop or center please let security know of this. They can then do something about it. If there is no security inform the shop owner or call the SAPS. 10111 is always useful for emergency assistance and if you want someone to come and have a look at suspicious activity call the sector vehicle.

One of the Sector 3 phones has gone missing so there is one number that is out of action.

Sgt Freedom "Black Diamond" Phiri’s passingCondolences & thoughts go to the family of a reservist who worked at our station since 2004. Sgt Phiri unfortunately lost his life in an accident on the 21st July 2011 – he was 31 years old. I had the pleasure of working with him on a few occasions and his passing is a huge loss to the station. The words spoken at his service were touching and it is so sad to see a man, clearly loved and respected, taken so early on in his life. We should all honour his life, of which he gave voluntarily to our service, by getting involved in our area and helping out where we can.

Thanks and please let me know of any activity. I shall pass this on to the SAPS.

Thanks to all those that give of their time and resources to the Norwood CPF and SAPS. Have a great evening. Yours, Duncan Norwood Community Police Forum 078 014 2387 www.ncpf.co.zaFax – 086 638 4230 Twitter – @NorwoodCPFFacebook – Norwood Community Police Forum

As discussed, please find pictures of silver BMW reg TKN 870 GP connected with house robberies and hijackings. Flying squad know about this car. They have been operating for 6 weeks in this car, they follow residents home. The car was hijacked in the beginning of March 2011 from Honeydew and these guys went back two Saturdays ago and robbed the same family again. – BMW Silver – Tinted windows – 325/330 model, but badge missing off car. – 4 Males late 20 â€˜s.

]]>362Warning – new modus operandihttp://ncpf.co.za/2011/06/warning-new-modus-operandi/
Sat, 11 Jun 2011 08:21:38 +0000http://ncpf.co.za/2011/06/warning-new-modus-operandi/Last night I was almost a victim of a new MO (modus operandi) of the criminal network that is plaguing our area.

While I was out last night, I received a call from my Security provider stating that they had received a panic signal from my house/alarm. When I stated that that was impossible as there was noâ€“one at home, the caller then asked for my password/safety code. I was immediately suspicious of the call as my provider never asks for this when they need to respond. They just get their guards on the road to my house.

I queried this and the person immediately said good bye and put the phone down. It was a lady that called and her English was not very good.

I quickly called my provider and they confirmed that they had not received any signal and had not called me.

Please be aware and get to know the way your providers work when they call you. It was only because I was used to this that I immediately knew that there was something fishy about the way the person was doing things.

Please let me know if you have experienced the same thing. Also it is vital that we spread this around as we must make sure that everyone is aware.

As before, if spotted call 10111 or your local security company. For tip-offs or information on criminal activity please get in touch with us or send an sms to crimeline with your tip-off.

Get involved, it will make this area safer for all of us. Encourage your friends, colleagues or family and get to know your neighbour! — Yours, Duncan Norwood Community Police Forum 078 014 2387 www.ncpf.co.zaFax – 086 638 4230 Twitter – @NorwoodCPFFacebook – Norwood Community Police Forum

]]>354Power outage – Updatehttp://ncpf.co.za/2011/04/power-outage-update/
Thu, 07 Apr 2011 11:01:17 +0000http://ncpf.co.za/2011/04/power-outage-update/The power outage in our suburbs will probably last until this evening, if not tomorrow morning. For more information please copy and paste (or click) on the following link: http://ewn.co.za/articleprog.aspx?id=63370If you are unable to follow the link – go to www.ewn.co.za and look under the Local news tag for the relevant article.

LOOKOUTPlease be especially aware today and this evening if power is not restored. The lack of light and working alarm systems pose issues for our security. Keep a lookout for two or more males on foot and especially when you are entering or exiting your property. Dial 10111 if a criminal act is in progress or the Sector vehicles for your area â€“ details are on our site. A robbery took place last night in a driveway when the resident did not realise the person was a criminal and not her employee. It was dark due to the lack of light and she did not realise the risk she was in.

Lets look out for one another, it is in all our best interests.

Reminder of the CPF AGM – 14th April 18:30 @ Paterson Park Rec Centre.Come along to be heard and get involved!!

Crime is on the increase in our area. You may have gotten the Tweets or emails from other security providers and it is true. The crimes that are a problem are robbery, hi-jacking, theft of motor-vehicles and burglary residential. A robbery is defined as such when there is personal contact with a criminal. As far as I can see this is the same across our City, so it is not just our area that is a problem. We need to be aware, especially when entering or exiting your property. It is also vital that you get to know all of your neighbours and other members of your community – the person selling sweets on your corner. As everyone is an extra ears or eyes that will listen out for you when you are unable to (or not at home). The more we create a community network, the better and safer everything will be.

Lookouts There is a Red and a Grey Ford Focus, registration XT XT 49 GP, that is involved in criminal activity in our area. If you see this vehicle please let the police know on 10 111 or give your local security company a call. There are still thefts out of motor vehicles at Melrose Arch and at the Planet Fitness at the Wanderers. If you do frequent these places please do not leave valuables in plain sight as your car will be broken into. The Planet Fitness is a bigger issue as members often come straight from work and there is invariably something in their boots (which is what the criminals are counting on). If you do frequent this gym I would advise parking inside and not on the road. There is less security on the road and as such your vehicle is a target for criminals.

Linksfield Hospital robberyThis appears to have been an inside job. A security guard that was on duty during the robbery has been taken in for questioning due to the surveillance camera footage that has been passed on to the Norwood SAPS.

ThanksA thanks must go out to the Security companies that are assisting with operations in our area. During the last operation there was no crime throughout our area. So we would like to specifically thank ADT and CAP for their hard work and effort in our area and assistance during the operation.

AGMPlease attend the AGM and get involved in the CPF. If you value the investment you have made in your property, business or life here in South Africa, then you must stand up and be counted as someone who made a difference. We will be launching some interesting new forums and initiatives that should present opportunities for everyone to get involved. One of the main purposes of the AGM is to adopt a new constiution that should allow the CPF to become a Public benefit organisation (PBO) and fall in line with the Provincial CPF constitution that was adopted last year. The constitution should be up on the website for those who would like to review it by the end of the current week. If you would like to comment on this or contribute in any way to it, please email me directly.

Have a great week and please pass this on. The more people we have on our database the more information we can get out there!